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  • C12N1/00—Microorganisms, e.g. protozoa; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
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  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K14/37—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from fungi
  • C07K14/38—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from fungi from Aspergillus
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  • C12N1/00—Microorganisms, e.g. protozoa; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
  • C12N1/14—Fungi; Culture media therefor
  • C12N1/145—Fungal isolates
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
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  • C12N9/00—Enzymes; Proenzymes; Compositions thereof; Processes for preparing, activating, inhibiting, separating or purifying enzymes
  • C12N9/14—Hydrolases (3)
  • C12N9/48—Hydrolases (3) acting on peptide bonds (3.4)
  • C12N9/50—Proteinases, e.g. Endopeptidases (3.4.21-3.4.25)
  • C12N9/58—Proteinases, e.g. Endopeptidases (3.4.21-3.4.25) derived from fungi
  • C12N9/62—Proteinases, e.g. Endopeptidases (3.4.21-3.4.25) derived from fungi from Aspergillus
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
  • C12P21/00—Preparation of peptides or proteins
  • C12P21/06—Preparation of peptides or proteins produced by the hydrolysis of a peptide bond, e.g. hydrolysate products
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12R—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C - C12Q, RELATING TO MICROORGANISMS
  • C12R2001/00—Microorganisms ; Processes using microorganisms
  • C12R2001/645—Fungi ; Processes using fungi
  • C12R2001/66—Aspergillus

Definitions

• the present invention refers to koji molds capable of expressing proteolytic enzymes in the presence of a carbon source in at least the same amount as in the absence thereof.
• the present invention pertains to a modification of the expression of the creA gene product as a tool to increase the amount of a wide spectrum of proteolytic enzymes in the presence of a carbon source.
• Hydrolyzed proteins which are widely used in the food industry, may be prepared by hydrolytic degradation of protein material with acid, alkali or enzymes. As regards a treatment of the material with acid or alkaline this procedure has been shown to also destroy essential amino acids generated during hydrolysis thus reducing the nutritional value of the final product. On the other hand hydrolysis by addition of enzymes rarely goes to completion so that the hydrolyzed protein material still contains substantial amounts of peptides. Depending on the nature of the protein and the enzymatic components utilized for proteolysis, the peptides formed may, however, lead to extremely bitter tastes and are thus organoleptically undesirable.
• microorganisms instead of chemical or isolated biological material microorganisms as such are employed for this purpose.
• proteinaceous material available is hydrolyzed by the action of a large variety of enzymes, such as amylases, proteinases, peptidases etc., that are secreted by the microorganism.
• microorganisms that are traditionally used for making koji cultures (see e.g. US 4,308,284).
• These molds comprise e.g. microorganisms of the genus Aspergillus, Rhizopus and/or Mucor, in particular Aspergillus soyae, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus phoenicis, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus awamori, Rhizopus oryzae, Rhizopus oligosporus, Rhizopus japonicus, Rhizopus formosaensis, Mucor circinelloides, Mucor japanicus, Penicillium glaucum and Penicillium fuscum.
• Aspergillus is an anamorphic genus. This means that true Aspergilli only reproduce asexually through conidiophores. However, the typical Aspergillus conidiophore morphology may also be found in fungi that may reproduce sexually via ascospores. Some Aspergillus taxonomists caused confusion, because they did not adhere to ICBN terminology. Instead, they attempted to make various revisions of taxonomical schemes to include Aspergillus nidulans in this genus, despite the fact that its taxonomically correct name is Emericella nidulans (Samson, In: Aspergillus. Biology and Industrial Applications, pp 355-390, ed. by Bennett and Klich, Boston). In effect, the microorganism termed Aspergillus nidulans may be considered not to belong to the genus Aspergillus itself.
• a process for the production of a fermented soya sauce wherein a koji is prepared by mixing a koji culture with a mixture of cooked soya and roasted wheat. The koji thus obtained is then hydrolyzed in an aqueous suspension for 3 to 8 hours at 45 °C to 60 °C with the enzymes produced during fermentation of the koji culture, a moromi is further prepared by adding sodium chloride to the hydrolyzed koji suspension, the moromi is left to ferment and is then pressed with the liquor obtained being pasteurized and clarified.
• EP 0 429 760 describes a process for the production of a flavoring agent in which an aqueous suspension of a protein-rich material is prepared, the proteins are solubilized by hydrolysis of the suspension with a protease at pH 6.0 to 11.0, the suspension is heat-treated at a pH of 4.6 to 6 and is subsequently ripened with enzymes of a koji culture.
• European patent application 96 201 923.8 describes a process for the production of a meat flavor, in which a mixture containing a vegetal proteinaceous source and a vegetal carbohydrates containing source is prepared, said mixture having initially at least 45% dry matter, the mixture is inoculated with a koji culture and by one or more other species of microorganisms involved in the traditional fermentation of meat, and the mixture is incubated until meat flavors are formed.
• Nitrogen metabolite repression has been found to be inter alia exerted by the areA gene product in Emericella nidulans (Arst et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 26 (1973), 111-141,), whereas in other fungi it is assumed that possibly other genes are deemed to be responsible for said function. In fact, most fungi that have been studied seem to have an areA homologue performing said function. In wheat bran fermentations performed with Aspergillus oryzae, proteolytic activity could only be detected when the glucose concentration dropped below a certain threshold.
• This object has been solved by providing a koji mold belonging to the genus Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Mucor or Penicillium, the proteolytic activity of which is not carbon repressed.
• the expression of the creA gene has been modified such that the gene product thereof gives rise to a polypeptide exhibiting a decreased or no binding affinity at all to DNA sequences responsible for blocking the transcription of proteases.
• the synthesis of the creA gene is modified in such a way that the corresponding gene product is substantially not transcribed or not transcribed at all or not translated to a functional product.
• This may e.g. be achieved by means of introducing a construct into the genome of the microorganism that gives rise to a creA anti-sense mRNA thus preventing translation of the creA gene into a functional polypeptide.
• mutations may be introduced into the creA gene so that no transcription takes place.
• the creA gene may also be entirely deleted so that no repression takes place in the presence of a carbon source.
• the mutations leading to the microorganism having the desired traits may be obtained via classical techniques, such as mutation and selection or by using genetic engineering techniques, with which a selective mutation in the creA gene may be achieved.
• creA mutation may also be combined with the property of an increased production of the areA gene, a positive stimulator for the production of proteases.
• Fig. 1 is a restriction map of a ⁇ Geml2 clone. The coding region was localised on a 4.3 kB Pstl-SpHI fragment that was subcloned in pUC19.
• creA mutations in the creA gene that diminish or even interrupt binding of the gene product thereof to the corresponding DNA sequences should lead to an earlier onset of protease production in wheat bran kojis, resulting in a higher protease yield and thus to an increased secretion of proteases. Also, in soy kojis creA mutations would theoretically alleviate carbon catabolite repression of protease production and should result in higher protease production.
• creA mutants may be isolated as areA suppressor mutations.
• the areA gene is one of several genes involved in the activation of the transcription of a wide variety of proteolytic polypeptides.
• the areA gene is controlled by the presence or absence of intracellular glutamine, which in effect represents a nitrogen dependent control.
• A. oryzae NF2 (CNCM 1882), an areA null-mutant described in detail in EP 97111378.2, which document is incorporated herein by way of reference, has been shown to be unable to grow on minimal medium (see below) containing 0.2% soy protein and 50 mM glucose. The same mutant was also incapable to grow in wheat gluten koji.
• the areA gene product no longer stimulates the transcription of protease encoding genes, resulting in the microorganisms to exhibit a decreased protease secretion.
• creA gene product represses transcription of protease encoding genes eventually resulting in an incapability of the areA null mutant to use protein as a nitrogen source. Consequently, area null mutants with an operative creA gene should be unable to proliferate and grow in such an environment.
• creA mutants of A. oryzae may be subjected to mutagenic agents in the above mentioned medium (0.2 % soy protein, 50 mM glucose), such as e.g. UV irradiation, treatment with EMS (Ethyl methane sulfonate), methyl methane sulfonate or DMSO, nitrosoguanidine, etc..
• mutagenic agents in the above mentioned medium (0.2 % soy protein, 50 mM glucose), such as e.g. UV irradiation, treatment with EMS (Ethyl methane sulfonate), methyl methane sulfonate or DMSO, nitrosoguanidine, etc.
• the colonies may then be analysed for the presence of an increased proteolytic activity, which may be achieved e.g. by means of determining the activity of enzymes that are under control of creA, such as alcohol dehydrogenase, amylase, acetamidase etc..
• colonies growing in the above referenced medium may be investigated for hypersensitivity towards Fluor-acetate.
• an active creA protein prevents the induction of acetate utilisation enzymes in the presence of glucose.
• Fluor-acetate is not metabolised.
• creA mutants in which the creA gene product does not take over its inherent function, these acetate utilisation enzymes are transcribed in an essentially constitutive manner.
• Fluor-acetate will be converted to compounds that are toxic for the microorganisms.
• the visual result resides in that strains, having a mutation in the creA gene which renders the gene product essentially ineffective, will not grow in a medium containing Fluor-acetate and a carbon source.
• CreA mutants may also be identified according to their hypersensitivity towards allyl- alcohol in the presence of a carbon source.
• the active creA protein normally prevents the induction of alcohol dehydrogenase, that oxidises the above substrate to ketone acreoline, a compound toxic for the microorganism.
• the allyl-alcohol Under repressive conditions, i.e. in the presence of a carbon source, the allyl-alcohol will normally not be oxidised to the toxic compound due to creA exerting its inherent function to repress the transcription of alcohol dehydrogenase.
• creA gene in mutants in which the creA gene is not functional any more, alcohol dehydrogenase is essentially expressed constitutively, intoxicating the mould with acreoline even in the presence of the carbon source.
• the creA gene may also be modified in a suitable way by means of genetic engineering.
• a construct may be incorporated in the moulds' genome, comprising a DNA sequence being transcribed into an anti-sense NA to creA.
• This may be achieved by techniques well known in the art such as is e.g. described in Maniatis, A Laboratory manual, Cold Spring Harbor, 1992.
• This option provides for the advantage that the action of the anti-sense RNA itself may be controlled in a suitable way by rendering the transcription dependent on the presence or absence of particular molecules known to induce transcription in a given system.
• Vectors to clone a given DNA fragment as well as promotors and their way of induction are well known in the art and may e.g. be found in Maniatis, supra.
• the creA gene may well be modified in such a way that the gene product thereof is substantially or even entirely ineffective. This may be effected by introducing mutations into the DNA sequence so that the corresponding polypeptide looses its capability of exerting its regulatory action by e.g. binding to the corresponding regulatory DNA sequences. Moreover, the creA gene may partly or even entirely be deleted so that no repression takes place at all in the presence of a carbon source.
• creA gene of A. oryzae may be is isolated using a DNA sequence comprising the coding region of the corresponding gene of Aspergillus nidulans as a probe, however, applying low- stringent conditions during hybridisation.
• the DNA sequence thus identified may then be used to introduce specific mutations into the creA gene. This may be effected by e.g. cloning the fragment in a suitable vector, such as the high copy number vector pUC or Ml 3, deleting part of the coding sequences or introducing a stop codon in the reading frame and introducing the modified creA gene into an ⁇ reA mutant, like A. oryzae NF2 (CNCM 1882). CreA- areA double mutants can then be selected on minimal medium (below) containing protein (i.e. 0.2% soy) and 50 mM glucose by their ability to grow, whereas an areA mutant will not grow.
• a suitable vector such as the high copy number vector pUC or Ml 3
• CreA- areA double mutants can then be selected on minimal medium (below) containing protein (i.e. 0.2% soy) and 50 mM glucose by their ability to grow, whereas an areA mutant will not grow.
• a marker such as e.g. a resistance gene may be utilised, that may be deleted from the moulds' genome after having isolated a creA mutant having the desired traits.
• Techniques for cloning, introducing mutations and/or deletions into a given gene and for introducing DNA sequences into a microorganism are known in the art and may be e.g. found in Maniatis et al., supra.
• A. nidulans G332 (pabaAl, yA2, xprDl), used to amplify the creA gene,- was obtained from the Glasgow Genetic Stock Centre via Dr. A.J. Clutterbuck.
• A. oryzae TK3 (aflRl, omtAl), were obtained from the strain collection of the Nestle Research Center Lausanne.
• A. oryzae NF1 (pyrGl) is a uridine auxotroph derivative of A. oryzae TK3 in which the pyrG gene, encoding orotidine 5 '-phosphate decarboxylase, was inactivated by targeted disruption.
• A. oryzae NF2 (CNCM 1882) is an ⁇ reA disruption mutant, derived from A. oryzae NF1 as described in EP 97111378.2.
• the vector LambdaGem-12 was obtained from Promega, pUC19 (Yanisch-Perron C, Vieira, J. and Messing, J. Improved Ml 3 phage cloning vectors and host strains: nucleotide sequences of M13mpl8 and pUC19; Gene 33 (1985), 103-119) was obtained from New England Biolabs Inc. USA.
• Minimal medium contains per litre 1.5 KH 2 PO 4 (Merck, Darmstadt, FRG), 0.5 g MgSO 4 .7H 2 O (Merck, Darmstadt, FRG), 0.5 g KC1 (Merck).
• 50 mM Glucose (Merck, Darmstadt, FRG), 0.2% Soy Protein (Protein Technologies International) and 2% agar noble were added to MM.
• Protease plate assays were performed either on MM with 0.08% sodium desoxycholate (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) and 0.2% soy protein as sole carbon and nitrogen source or on MM with 1% skimmed milk (Difco) and 2% agar noble (Difco)
• a genomic library of Aspergillus oryzae TK3 (supra) in GEM 12 was screened under low stringency conditions (55° C, 5xSSC, 1% SDS) with a 1.3 KB PCR product encompassing the coding region of the A. nidulans creA gene.
• a total of 100 positive clones were propagated and again hybridised with the probe under conditions of slightly increased stringency by increasing the temperature to about 60 °C. In the following three of the most strongly hybridising clones were isolated.
• the A. oryzae creA gene was subcloned from a Geml2 clone as a 7.3 KB BamHI fragment.
• Southern analysis the coding region was localised on a 4.3 KB Pstl-Sphl fragment that was subcloned in pUC19 generating pNFF212 and completely sequenced.
• the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the A. oryzae creA gene is given below. Sequence motifs in the putative promoter region that fit the SYGRGG consensus of CREA DNA-binding sites (Kulmburg et al., 1993) are singly underlined and marked in bold. The region encompassing the DNA-binding C 2 H Zn- finger region in the CREA protein (Dowzer et al., 1989) is doubly underlined and in bold.
• creA-areA double mutants could be selected directly on plating the microorganisms on MM plates containing 0.2% soy protein and 50 mM glucose solidified with 2% agar noble.
• creA gene was deleted from the molds genome as follows.
• pNFF212 was partially digested with EcoRI and the linear molecule was recovered from an agarose gel. After dephosphorylation and ligation to the 1843 bp A. nidulans pyrG fragment from pNFF38 (A. Doumas, P van den Broek, M. Affolter, M. Monod (1998) Characterisation of the Prolyl dipeptidyl peptidase gene (dpplV) from the Koji mold Aspergillus oryzae, Applied and Environemental Microbiology 64, 4809-4815), pNFF234 was generated.
• the creA coding region is interrupted by a functional A. nidulans pyrG gene, truncating the gene product immediately downstream of the DNA binding zinc finger.
• pNFF234 was digested with it ⁇ tXI and introduced into A. oryzae NF1 by transformation.
• the primary transformants are selected on MM without uridine and screened for hypersensitivity towards allyl-alcohol and Fluor-acetate in the presence of 50 mM glucose. Sensitive transformants were then tested for the desired gene replacement by Southern analysis or PCR.
• the strains obtained in example 1 were grown on minimal medium (supra) containing 1% starch and 50 mM glucose as carbon source. Under these conditions wild type strains, in which the amylases are repressed by glucose, will not produce a halo when stained with a KI solution. In contrast thereto a creA mutant will produce a halo, since amylase expression is no longer repressed by glucose. All three colonies isolated in example 1 did produce a halo. 2) Acetamidase test
• Strains can also be assayed for acetamidase activity when grown on a minimal medium (supra) containing acetamide and glucose as carbon source. Under these conditions wild type strains do not produce acetamidase activity, whereas a creA mutants do.
• creA mutants exhibit a halo after 2 days at 30°C, whereas wild type strains do not.

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